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Archive → May 6th, 2016

Bill Foster, the Congressman in Illinois 11th District has a reputation of playing hardball. This time, however, “Bully Bill” took a staggering counter punch from his opponent, Tonia Khouri, at the opening bell of this campaign. Mrs. Khouri, a Dupage County Board member and local businesswoman is Fosters Republican opponent. After winning a hard fought primary, it is clear that Khouri has a lot of fight left to take on Congressman Foster.

Foster threw the first punch in this election campaign with an opening letter describing Khouri as a right wing extremist as well as inflating her personal wealth to enable the use of the typical Washington D.C. class warfare rhetoric. The irony is Bill has done quite well financially in his own business life. Not that hypocrisy in Washington DC is uncommon. Within hours, Mrs. Khouri challanged his accusations, describing Foster as “Bully Bill.”

Khouri states that “the idea is to go to Washington and make it better, not bring its nastiness back to our home district.” She also reminds us that “Bill Foster is about pitting us against each other because that is what they do in Washington.” Foster vanquished his last two female opponants, Judy Biggert and Darlene Senger in the last two election cycles. However, this may be a race to watch being that Foster is a Washington establishment politician in an anti-establishment election cycle ( on both sides of the isle). Khouri does not look like a candidate that is going to run the stereotypical GOP campaign of the last two Foster opponents. This in itself could lead to some excitement in this race.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is urging New Yorkers not to eat at Chick-fil-A because owner Dan Cathy believes that homoerotic acts are not moral and has donated money to organizations that share that belief. Although Mr. Cathy has donated money to charitable organizations that espouse the view that homoerotic acts are immoral and that marriage is an intrinsically male-female union, his beliefs affect neither whom Chick-fil-A franchises hire nor whom they serve.

In de Blasio’s perverse world, people who believe homosexual acts are immoral necessarily hate those who engage in them. Of course that’s an absurd and pernicious charge, but Leftists hurl it often and everywhere. I wonder if de Blasio applies that principle consistently. I wonder if de Blasio hates everyone who engages in acts that he believes are immoral.

Mr. Cathy’s beliefs on the moral status of homoerotic activity and the nature of marriage derive from his Christian faith. Both the Old and New Testaments teach clearly that homoerotic acts are immoral and that marriage is a male-female union, as does, by the way, the Quran. Therefore, it’s not just Mr. Cathy who holds those beliefs. It’s all theologically orthodox Christians, Orthodox Jews, and Muslims.

Does de Blasio seek to shut down every business in America whose owners are theologically orthodox Christians, Orthodox Jews, and Muslims? If so, would this goal comport with the free exercise of religion? Are these groups allowed to freely exercise their religion so long as they don’t own businesses?

Maybe de Blasio can tell all people of faith which religious beliefs they must abandon in order to own a business in America. May people of faith believe that consensual adult incest is immoral and still own a business in America? What about bestiality, adultery, fornication, drunkenness, covetousness, pride, blasphemy, or idolatry?

What if a Christian believes that the only path to eternal life is through Jesus Christ? That would mean Christians think non-believers are destined for eternal damnation. Many Leftists erroneously think such a belief represents the desires of Christians. As a Leftist, de Blasio may think this Christian belief about salvation is downright hateful. Should those who believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life be allowed to own a business in America?

Do tell, Mayor de Blasio, which religious beliefs may people of faith hold and still own a business in America?

If you would like to send a message to the New York City mayor, fill out the webform on this website. And above all, please vote with your wallets and continue to patronize Chick-fil-A restaurants.

President Obama on Thursday commuted the prison sentence of a man who was part of a crack-dealing gang that terrorized Chicago Heights, led by a kingpin who modeled himself after the Wesley Snipes character in the 1991 movie “New Jack City.”

Known as “the Organization,” the gang ran a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week crack distribution center throughout the 1990s in the Claude Court Housing Complex right across from Gavin Elementary School. The children were never allowed outside, according to federal authorities, to shield them from the armed dealers who lurked nearby.

Artrez Nyroby Seymour, 21 at the time of his arrest, was one of 29 associates snared and convicted in a joint crackdown by the DEA and Chicago Heights police in 2002.

Seymour began working in the gang at 18, according to federal prosecutors. “As a packman, Nyroby was at the sales location and had first-hand knowledge of the amount of crack being sold,” according to the federal complaint. The packman would take the money in exchange for the drugs. Seymour later moved up to security for the ring.

The man at the center of the operation, Troy Lawrence, aka “Nino Brown” and “the Don,” was sentenced to life in prison. He was raking in $10,000 to $20,000 a day slinging crack at $10 a bag in the Heights.

After the “Operation New Jack City” bust — the largest in Chicago Heights history — Police Chief Robert F. Pinnow Jr. said: “Today is a proud day.”

Seymour, a Chicago Heights resident, pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy. In 2005, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In March, his sentence was reduced to 20 years. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer was swayed by a letter of apology Seymour wrote from prison in 2015, acknowledging his “monumental mistakes and horrible choices.”

Metro Chicago Exports today announced the launch of its 2016 Grant Program, presented by JP Morgan Chase & Co. Online applications will be accepted through May 27, 2016. No applications will be accepted past this date. Winners will be notified on or around July 11, 2016.

Metro Chicago Exports works with local companies helping businesses navigate and address financial, structural and other barriers to exporting. This year’s single-round Grant Program will award up to $5,000 to small and medium-sized companies located in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties that are existing exporters or new-to-export with fewer than 500 employees. Grant recipients will be able to reimburse 50 percent of eligible expenses associated with implementing an export plan.

To learn more about the 2016 Metro Chicago Exports Grant Program, please see the press release below and visit www.metrochicagoexports.com.

A 66% tax increase to Cook County’s special use gasoline and fuel tax has been proposed by Commissioner Richard Boykin. This proposed tax increase has been earmarked to fund several new, yet vaguely defined, county government programs. Not only is the 66% gas tax increase questionable, but there are also questions about the new programs that appear to be expanding the size of government by duplicating programs and overlapping services that already exist.

In my view, attempting to impose a tax increase at this time would be circumventing the importance of the county’s budget process. A budget hearing is the proper forum to testify and debate the merits of a tax increase, especially one that specifically expands the size and costs of running county government.

When consolidation of services is being examined at all levels of government, I believe it is best practices to first thoroughly analyze the efficiency of all existing programs and services already provided by Cook County government.

Yes, there are very serious issues of crime and unemployment that plague certain areas of our community and yes, we must make every attempt to properly tackle those issues. But, it would be most effective to do it in a comprehensive approach, not piecemeal.

The county board has been asked to approve this tax increase along with the creation of new programs at a time when Cook County government is faced with serious fiscal challenges. We must be prudent in our allocation of tax dollars and that is why I look forward to working with my colleagues to closely analyze the effectiveness of our existing programs so that they are providing the very best services to address the needs of our constituents.